


Only One Weekend

by IanInABox



Series: A Home Like A Den [2]
Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Drama, Fluff, M/M, Mates, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-05-09 05:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14710170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IanInABox/pseuds/IanInABox
Summary: In the darkness, Jongup relaxed. Daehyun could tell as soon as he leapt onto the bed. They could both see very well in the dark with their wolf eyes, and Daehyun watched as Jongup’s ears rose softly and his shoulders relaxed as he laid down, stretching himself out more comfortably among the mass of pillows.Why did Himchan have so many goddamn pillows?Daehyun huffed and slowly stepped into the makeshift sort of den, surprised when Jongup showed no signs of resistance to his entrance. He sat himself down beside him easily, and Jongup welcomed him passively––a very Jongup thing to do––when his snout sought out his ears.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is overdue and most definitely nowhere near proofread, but is anyone really surprised?  
> hope you like it. there will be a second chapter <3

“Himchannie––” Jongup leaned back against the sofa, reaching an arm out blindly behind him in the general direction of his mate. “Come here,” he whined, turning his head so that his nose pressed into the pillow behind him. Himchan paused and turned, a smile on his face. He strode forward and took Jongup’s hand. His touch melted the tension from Jongup’s body.

“I’ll just be a minute,” he said softly, squeezing Jongup’s hand. Reluctant to let go, Jongup held fast, tugging Himchan towards him. Himchan sighed, still smiling at him, and bent over so that he was at Jongup’s eye level. Jongup pulled his hand up to rest it against his cheek.

“What is it?” Himchan asked as Jongup nuzzled into his palm. He breathed in deeply, holding onto the man’s scent for as long as he could, before responding.

“Sit with me.”

“I will, Uppie. I’ll be right back, I promise.”

 

“Feels better when you’re here,” Jongup murmured into Himchan’s stomach. He curled his knees up, too, fitting himself around him while keeping his head in his lap. It was as if Jongup was a large cat trying to snuggle with its owner.

“Are you not feeling well?” Himchan frowned and reached down to run his fingers through Jongup’s hair. He turned Jongup’s head to face upward and pressed his palm to his forehead. “You don’t feel too warm,” he said. As soon as his hand lifted, Jongup twisted to bury his head in the soft material of Himchan’s knit sweater, arms wrapped around his torso to hold him as close as he possibly could. There seemed to be something… off about him.

“Jongup.” Himchan’s face and voice grew concerned, and Jongup peeked up at him, still holding tight. “What is it, Jonguppie? What’s wrong?” He brushed Jongup’s bangs away from his eyes, and was hugged tighter as result.

“Nothing. I don’t know,” Jongup replied, voice muffled to near incomprehensibility by Himchan’s sweater. “Just feels weird without you. ‘M sleepy.” With that he closed his eyes again, and burrowed into the fabric, letting out a contented sigh once he was settled. Then Himchan was becoming a little worried. Since Jongup wasn’t looking at him anymore, he let a frown take over his face, and he rubbed Jongup’s back. A small, rumbling sound—almost like a purr—came from Jongup’s chest, and something like a soft whine from his throat. What was up with him?

“Are you achy? It can’t be your preheat, right? You just had one last month,” Himchan wondered out loud. Jongup shook his head into Himchan’s stomach, but didn’t say anything, and Himchan sighed. God, how was going to tell him that he needed to leave for the weekend now? “You must be coming down with something,” he said. Jongup didn’t say anything, just snuggling closer as his breaths evened out and slowed. Himchan would tell him after his nap.

  


“Hey, you gonna be ready to leave in the morning?” Youngjae asked as he swept past where Himchan held Jongup on the sofa. He had rearranged so that he was laying, body stretched out, over the cushions, with Jongup resting between his legs, head on his chest and one hand curled around his shirt as he slept. Himchan hesitated.

“Yeah, I’ll finish packing later,” he said.

Youngjae slipped into the kitchen. “Himchan,” he called, “it’s already ten. Better get moving. If you aren’t in the car by eight, I’m not driving you.”

“I know,” Himchan said with a sigh, trying to keep his voice down as not to wake Jongup. A minute later, Youngjae emerged with a glass of water in hand, and sat down in the chair on the other side of the coffee table. He took a sip of his drink and then rose an eyebrow at Himchan, nodding his head in Jongup’s direction as he swallowed.

“Not too happy you’re leaving?” he asked.

Himchan winced and bit his lip, reaching up to play with Jongup’s hair. “I actually didn’t get the chance to tell him, yet.”

“Why?”

“First of all, it’s not my fault that this came out of nowhere, only about––” he paused to check his watch “––two hours ago.”

“And?”

“Second of all, as soon as I sat down next to him he was on top of me, practically asleep.”

Youngjae snorted. “How very Jongup of him.” His laugh died, however, when he saw the way Himchan continued to worry his lower lip as he gazed down at the man in his lap. “What’s wrong?” he asked, eyes scanning Jongup instinctively to check for any signs that something might be abnormal. Jongup was sleeping soundly, breathing deeply and rising ever so slightly every time Himchan breathed in.

“I think he might be coming down with something,” Himchan said, looking up as he continued to pet Jongup’s hair.

Youngjae squinted. “You think he’s sick? He seemed fine earlier. A little tired, maybe, but that’s not exceptionally out of character.”

“He just seemed really uncomfortable before he fell asleep,” Himchan explained. “As soon as I walked past him, he wouldn’t let me leave. I’m worried something’s wrong.”

“Did you ask him if he was okay?”

“He didn’t seem to know, either,” Himchan said with a frown. He shifted a little bit so that Jongup’s ribs wouldn’t dig into his stomach. He slipped his arms beneath Jongup’s, and gently dragged him up until his chin was over Himchan’s shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around his back. “Just said he felt weird without me.”

Youngjae pursed his lips. “Is he maybe starting his preheat?” he suggested.

Himchan shook his head. “That can’t be it, he just finished a week ago.”

“I mean, it’s not unlikely that he might be sick,” Youngjae said with a shrug. He finished off his water and stood up. “You’d better tell him when he wakes up. I’m sure he’d be upset if he woke up alone without warning.” He paused. “Unless you think you can get out of visiting you mother’s house for two days.”

“No way that’s happening,” Himchan said with a chuckle. “They’ll never forgive me if I don’t go meet my new niece.”

Youngjae returned to the kitchen to put his empty glass in the sink. “Better get him to bed, then. I’m sure he’ll want extra snuggles before you leave,” he teased. It was no secret how affectionate Jongup could be with Himchan. See: his position on the couch, right then. As Youngjae appeared back in the living room, he stopped beside the couch, expression turning serious. “Though, if something is wrong with him,” he said, “let us know. We’ll take care of him,” he promised.

Himchan smiled at him, still hugging Jongup to his chest tightly. “I know you will, Jae. It’s only one weekend. It’ll be fine.”

  


As much as Jongup loved Junhong, his hugs were nothing compared to Himchan’s. His scent was different; more citrusy than his, a little minty. It was nice, and he appreciated that Junhong was trying to help him, but it did nothing to soothe the constant, hollow ache in his chest. As an unmated beta and his life-long best friend, Junhong would ordinarily be the best choice for comfort when he was feeling down, but Jongup didn’t feel any better curled up next to him, knees drawn to his chest as he leaned on his shoulder, watching him play video games and adamantly refusing to join him, saying he felt too tired. And he was exhausted, despite having done nothing but sit inside all day listening to the storms pass by outside, one after another, rolling thunder rumbling closer and closer every few minutes. Junhong used to deal with Jongup’s moody preheats all the time before Himchan had… taken over. He would do his best to massage and ease the aches in his back and abdomen, and reluctantly let Jongup pull himself away to hide in his room while riddled by the full heat, almost always spending the entire week in his wolf form and leaving Junhong and the others to worry. The effects on his health that spending so many heats alone had wrought on him had been bad, sometimes even causing him to fall ill for weeks afterward. Junhong had offered time and time again to help him, as he had during Jongup’s very first heat––which had been filled with confusion and panic on both ends, as they had been the only ones home at the time and sixteen––, but the answer had always been nothing more than a closed door and some quiet whimpering after that. Junhong had been beyond ecstatic when he had witnessed a very disheveled Himchan digging around for condoms in Daehyun’s night table. Well, more towards what that had implied. They all had been.

When Jongup began to cry, however, Junhong started to panic. It was late at night, around eleven, and the house was quiet. Junhong’s ears twitched when a faint sniffle came from beside him, and he dropped the notebook he had been jotting down lines in. Jongup had curled up beside Junhong under the covers of his bed a little while ago, claiming he was tired and wanted to go to sleep early. Junhong hadn’t noticed him wake up; last he’d checked Jongup was warm, cozy, and breathing deeply. But now, suddenly, Jongup was cold and tense, his breaths shuttering their way out of him.

“Hey, hey,” Junhong said quietly, putting a hand on Jongup’s shoulder and peering over to get a look at his face. In the dim lighting, he could barely see his expression. “What is it? What’s wrong?” He leaned back against the headboard and gathered Jongup in his arms, but as soon as Jongup got a whiff of him he was shoving him back and scrambling away.

“Jonguppie…” Junhong let himself be pushed back, and Jongup stumbled off the bed, retreating to the corner of the room and drawing his knees up to his chest. Shocked at his strange behavior, Junhong only stared at him for a few moments, not knowing what to do. Where was this coming from all of a sudden? He slowly rose from the bed and stepped carefully to the door.

“I’m going to get Youngjae, okay? He can help you feel better. Just, stay here.” Junhong pulled the door shut behind him, hand lingering on the knob, and teeth worrying his lower lip as he contemplated whether or not it was okay to leave Jongup alone when he seemed so distressed. Figuring it was his best shot, he quickly made for Youngjae’s room.

Youngjae was still awake, luckily, though caught in a state of dressing himself for bed. Junhong stuttered out apologies and covered his eyes with his hand, Youngjae’s claims that it was alright doing nothing to ease the slight panic that came with catching his pack-leader half-naked and off-guard. After pulling a large t-shirt over his head, Youngjae called him back in. He patted the side of his bed to invite him to sit, but Junhong shook his head and stayed in the doorway. “Something’s wrong with Jongup-hyung,” he said.

Youngjae frowned. “What is it?”

“Well, you know how he was acting weird earlier, being all clingy and moody?”

Youngjae nodded.

“Well, he finally fell asleep just an hour or so ago, and suddenly he woke up crying. I tried to talk to him and I asked what was wrong but he––he ran away from me,” Junhong finished, bewildered.

“Ran away from you how?”

Junhong scratched his head. “I don’t know, he just pushed me away when I tried to hold him. He was curled up in a ball in the corner when I left. And I know you said that Himchan hyung said he thought he might be sick, but he’s not,” he added quickly.

“You shouldn’t have left him alone, Junhonggie,” Youngjae said. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but if he’s so unstable we shouldn’t let him isolate himself.” He stood up from the bed and made for the door, Junhong shuffling backwards to let him out. “Come on. Your room, right?”

They jogged back down the hall until they reached Junhong’s door, and Youngjae knocked softly. “Jongup?” he called. There was no response. “Jonguppie? It’s Youngjae. Can I come in?”

When no reply came yet again, Youngjae turned to Junhong, his eyes narrowed in a way that Junhong recognized as what he liked to refer to as “Youngjae’s-analyzing-gaze”.

“Maybe he fell back asleep?” he suggested.

Youngjae ignored him, electing instead to tilt his head and sniff the air carefully. “That’s weird,” he said quietly after a minute. “I don’t smell anything strange.”

“I didn’t either,” Junhong said. “But I figured because, you know,” he gestured at Youngjae, “the whole alpha-sense-of-smell thing… though actually, maybe Daehyun…” he trailed off. They all knew Daehyun had the best nose in the house.

Youngjae knocked on the door one last time. “Jonguppie, I’m going to come in now,” he called, and then slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open. “Are you––whoa!” He leapt back as a light gray wolf darted out of the room the second the door was open wide enough.

“Jongup!” he called after it, knowing it was him. “Shit,” Youngjae swore. “Okay, yeah, something is very wrong,” he said, running a hand through his hair before taking off after Jongup.

 

Youngjae was at a loss. He felt like a fish out of water, completely out of his element as he stared at the lump in Himchan’s bed. Could Jongup really be this upset over his mate leaving for the weekend? Was it because Himchan hadn’t told him until he caught him packing his things? But that would be so unlike Jongup. It wasn’t as if Jongup had never been able to handle being away from his mate for a day or so. Plus, Himchan had only been gone for _half_ a day so far. Maybe it was completely unrelated? Youngjae knew that Jongup would seek out Himchan’s scent when he was distressed, that was a natural reflex for mated omegas.

But if not Himchan’s departure and absence, what?

“Jonguppie, can I come in?” he asked, rapping softly on the open door. Junhong stood behind him, nervously wringing his fingers. There was no response from Jongup, but he hadn’t really been expecting one. He left the light off when he entered, figuring that the dark would be more comfortable for Jongup. He had created a sort of nest of pillows and blankets around himself, curled up and crouched in the middle, by the headboard.

“What’s wrong, Jonguppie?” Youngjae softened his voice as he came closer, motioning for Junhong to stay in the doorway. “We want to help you, but we can’t if you don’t tell us what’s going on.” He stopped beside the foot of the bed, and Jongup peered back at him. His ears laid low on his head, and he didn’t move, only following Youngjae with his eyes. His shoulders were hunched and tensed, as if he was preparing to defend himself from something.

Youngjae decided it would be best to stay at the foot of the bed. “Can you shift back so that we can talk?” he tried. He kept his body loose, vulnerable, as non-threatening as he could, but his physicality seemed to do nothing to put the light gray wolf before him at ease. Jongup had backed himself up against the headboard as much as he could, and he watched Youngjae carefully. He didn’t show any signs of obeying the request.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Junhong jumped suddenly when Yongguk stopped next to him in the doorway.

“What are you doing up, hyung?” Junhong asked, embarrassed that he hadn’t heard him approaching.

“I was just getting some water,” Yongguk answered distractedly, poking his head into the room and glancing around. “What are you guys doing? Why are you in here? Himchan’s not––”

Junhong nudged him and pointed to the bed.

Yongguk squinted into the darkness, the only light in the room being that which leaked in from the hallway. “Is that Jongup in there?”

“The one and only. He ran away from me and turned Himchan’s bed into a nest for himself,” Junhong explained with a defeated shrug.

“Is he just… missing him? He hasn’t even been gone a day.”

“Well, no doubt, but I’ve got a feeling there’s something else going on, too.” Junhong spoke quietly, not wishing to overrun Youngjae’s soft voice as he spoke to Yongguk.

“What makes you think so?”

Junhong bit his lip, recalling what had happened just a little earlier. “He was just sleeping in my bed while I was writing stuff, but then he woke up and started crying, and I tried to––just to hug him, but he pushed me away and hid in the corner, like he was scared of me.” He gestured uselessly with his hands, back and forth, as he spoke.

“Maybe he had a nightmare?”

Junhong blinked. “…that would make sense, actually,” he said. “But even if that is it, we need to get him human again. He’s acting really hostile, even to Youngjae.”

“Maybe I could try talking to him?” Yongguk put a hand on Junhong’s shoulder, gently pushing him out of the way. Youngjae turned as he stepped inside, Junhong remaining behind them. Yongguk walked past Youngjae, who made no move to stop him, and stood beside the nightstand, still a good few feet separating him from the wolf on the bed. The two regarded each other for a silent moment. Jongup’s gaze was cold; guarded.

“Jongup, are you okay?”

His only response was careful eyes flicking about his form, no doubt having better vision in the dark than he did. Jongup’s ears were still laid back, nearly flat against his head, and from where he stood, Yongguk could just make out the way the fur between his shoulder blades stood up, hackled. That was what really struck him that something was truly wrong. Jongup never behaved in such a hostile manner.

“Did you have a nightmare?” Yongguk kept his voice low, so that he wouldn’t startle the wolf before him. He could sense that its heart was racing, though it made no sound. “Can I sit?” he asked.

Of course Jongup didn’t answer him, but he stepped forward anyway, after another few seconds of unproductive staring. He glanced back up at Youngjae, who gave him a nod of encouragement, and he carefully seated himself on the very edge of the mattress. He offered Jongup what he hoped came off as a reassuring smile, but the wolf only backed further away from him.

“Jonguppie,” Yongguk said softly, noting the way the wolf’s ears twitched in response. “What’s wrong? Do you miss Himchannie?”

The wolf released a low whine, and its ears flicked further down.

“He’ll be back in just a couple days, Uppie,” Yongguk said. “I’m not sure why you’re so upset this time, but you know we’re all here for you, right?” He reached out slowly to pet the wolf’s head, but as he got closer, a soft growl rolled from Jongup’s throat, and he stopped, eyes wide. “Hey, it’s just me, Jongup.” Instead he made a fist and offered it for the wolf to sniff, but it didn’t move to do so, and Yongguk dropped his hand, significantly more concerned than he had been before.

“Hey––” Youngjae called out, but Yongguk stopped him.

“No, it’s alright,” he said, not taking his eyes off of Jongup. “I think he’s just frightened.”

“Of what?”

Instead of telling Youngjae that he didn’t know, Yongguk decided to remain silent, figuring Youngjae would understand. And he did, judging by the sigh that filled the room.

“It’s okay,” Yongguk murmured, reaching out again. He faltered when another growl began to rise up at him, but didn’t stop, still whispering reassurances. When his hand finally made contact with the soft fur on the wolf’s head, the growling lightened, though nothing of its physique changed. Jongup was still tense as a drawn string, and his heart still raced wildly in his ribcage. Yongguk waited, keeping his hand still, until the growls dropped off into a low hum, and then gently smoothed his fingers over Jongup’s head, around his ear and to the side of his neck. Jongup seemed to relax, if only just slightly, at the motion, his head tilting and ears rising a bit. He seemed conflicted, Yongguk thought, observing his body language. Jongup’s eyes darted from him to Youngjae to Junhong and then back again, gaze imploring as though he wished to leap into Yongguk’s arms, but something was holding him back from doing so. Was it that the others were there? But that had never stopped him from being affectionate before.

“Is he okay?”

Jongup flinched when Junhong spoke up, and Yongguk didn’t raise the volume of his voice when he responded.

“I think so,” he said, continuing to stroke the fur beneath his fingers soothingly as he turned his head to face the other two. “He’s just… jumpy.”

“I’ll say,” Youngjae muttered. Jongup huffed, and Yongguk shot him a look.

“What?” Youngjae came closer, arms folded across his chest, to stand beside Yongguk. “I think it would be best if we just left him for a while,” he suggested. “I don’t think he’s too keen on having company.”

Yongguk sighed, knowing Youngjae might be right. “Maybe not.”

“We should get Daehyun,” Junhong suggested, still hanging back. “It could be an omega thing,” he said with a shrug, worries eased as he watched Yongguk pet Jongup.

“That’s true,” Yongguk said.

“What do you mean?” Youngjae asked. “He’s been an omega since he was sixteen. You’d think that if this was a ‘thing’ we’d have seen it happen before. And to Dae, too.”

Junhong shrugged again. “I don’t know, I’m not an omega, it was just a suggestion, jeez.”

“It would be worth a try,” Yongguk said. “Who knows? He might be able to help. And, if not, I think a bit of alone time for him wouldn’t hurt. Right, Jongup?”

All three looked at the wolf, still tensed and still.

Youngjae sighed again. “Yes, I suppose.”

  


When Junhong shook Daehyun awake, he blindly reached out and grabbed the beta, pulling him to his chest and rolling over.

“Hey.” Junhong squirmed, breaking free of his grip and standing again. Daehyun just rolled over the other direction, and Junhong rolled his eyes. “Daehyun-hyung. Get up.”

“No.”

“Daehyunnie.”

“Go away, Junhong. ‘M sleeping.”

Junhong contemplated his options briefly before settling on the simplest one, and then stooped over to scoop Daehyun into his arms. Daehyun immediately resisted, kicking his legs and feet wildly but weakly. Junhong held fast and shushed him quickly.

“Hyung, stop. We need your help,” he said, carrying the sleepy omega into the hallway.

“Help? With what?” Daehyun rubbed his eyes, blinking in the bright light. “But it’s so late,” he whined.

“It’s only twelve in the morning,” Junhong hissed. “We think something’s wrong with Jonguppie-hyung. He’s barricaded himself on Himchan-hyung’s bed and he won’t turn back into a human.”

Daehyun was silent for a moment, processing the information slowly as he leaned his head against Junhong’s chest, listening for his heartbeat. “Was he… why’s he in Himchan’s room?”

Junhong deposited Daehyun on the floor in front of said hyung’s room, and he shuffled inside. Youngjae was leaning against the wall to the far side of the bed, and Yongguk was sitting with his legs crossed in the middle of the bed, before a light gray wolf. Daehyun stopped, standing in the middle of the room, and sniffed. Something was off, but he couldn’t quite get ahold of it with his human nose, despite it’s unnatural strength. He reached for his sleep shirt immediately, instincts telling him to shift so that he could identify the smells clearly. Nobody questioned him as he stripped until he was naked, clothes thrown in a pile at his feet.

“Shoo,” he said as he stepped out of his pants, tripping a bit when he tried to kick them off. He flicked his hand in the direction of the door.

Youngjae raised an eyebrow at him incredulously. “Shoo?” he parroted. “As in, get out?”

Daehyun huffed. “Yes, as in get out,” he said. “All of you. I have some sniffing to do, and I’d like to do that in private, thank you very much.”

“You’re asking us to give you privacy after you’ve just gotten naked in front of us without a care in the world?”

“Yes. Also, your noses aren’t as good as an omega’s anyway, so,” he shrugged his shoulders, “you would only be a hindrance. Now, _shoo_.” Daehyun got to his knees on the floor and shifted, leaving a fluffy, brown wolf standing in his place. He stood, staring at the other three imploringly. Junhong pivoted on his heel and left, Youngjae rolling his eyes before following, hot on his tail. Daehyun nudged Yongguk’s leg, and the beta sighed, giving Jongup’s ears one last pet before he rose from the bed and left the room. Daehyun would thank him later for closing the door.

In the darkness, Jongup relaxed. Daehyun could tell as soon as he leapt onto the bed. They could both see very well in the dark with their wolf eyes, and Daehyun watched as Jongup’s ears rose softly and his shoulders relaxed as he laid down, stretching himself out more comfortably among the mass of pillows.

Why did Himchan have so many goddamn pillows?

Daehyun huffed and slowly stepped into the makeshift sort of den, surprised when Jongup showed no signs of resistance to his entrance. He sat himself down beside him easily, and Jongup welcomed him passively––a very Jongup thing to do––when his snout sought out his ears. Still he seemed uncomfortable as he allowed him to nose about, but Daehyun didn’t think it was his presence making him feel that way. He sniffed across Jongup’s ears and neck, his face and his shoulders. There was something lacing Jongup’s natural scent that was new. It wasn’t flowery but it was sweet, though not overpoweringly slow. Like oranges and cloves.

Daehyun’s nose poked across Jongup’s body, prodding around his ribs, stomach, back––all over, before he pulled back. Jongup gave a small yip and nudged him with his own nose, like he was asking for an answer. Daehyun didn’t like to say he was ever really sure of anything, and the smell deep within the core of Jongup’s wasn’t anything he had ever smelled himself before, but he was fairly certain he understood what was troubling Jongup. Granted, his knowledge came from stories he’d heard and books he’d read, but still.

Daehyun sat back on his haunches and shifted into his human form so that he could speak.

“Jonguppie, can you shift back?” he asked, petting the other omega’s stomach. Jongup gave a sort of soft groan that Daehyun chuckled at. “Come on, turn back into a human, Uppie. I wanna talk to you.” He nuzzled his face against Jongup’s, laughing again when his cheek was licked. “You suddenly seem better,” he observed, voice muffled as he buried his nose in Jongup’s silvery fur. He pulled back when he felt the body under him begin to shift, and sat down with his legs crossed before him.

Jongup pushed himself up, arms still a bit shaky as he stared ahead and waited for his eyes to adjust.

“Care to tell me what happened?” Daehyun asked. Jongup jumped and reached out, not sure where exactly Daehyun was in the dark. One of his palms connected with his bare knee and the other his chest. He dropped his hands, but Daehyun caught them in his own.

“I’m sorry,” Jongup said, hanging his head. “I don’t––I just don’t understand. I feel so terrible but I don’t understand why.” He shook his head and sighed. “At first I thought I must have just been sick, because I did feel ill, really, but then I just… I-I got so sad,” he said. Daehyun squeezed his hands to urge him to continue.

“But it’s a weird kind of sad, because I don’t know what I’m sad about. It feels like a part of me is missing, and I just can’t find it. Like I’m unable to be myself without him here.”

“Without Himchan,” Daehyun said, and Jongup nodded.

“Yeah, without Himchan,” he said softly. “But the last couple of times he’s left I’ve been totally fine! I don’t understand why it’s so different, now.”

“Can you tell me what exactly about it is so different?” Daehyun asked.

Jongup sighed and leaned forward to rest his head against Daehyun’s shoulder. His forehead felt somehow both hot and cold at the same time, and Daehyun let go of one of his hands to pet his hair.

“Like… it’s like I just feel uncomfortable and wrong without his scent around me. Like I’m starving or parched or both, if that makes sense. It doesn’t, does it?”

Daehyun shook his head. “Not really, no.”

“I have chills,” Jongup said. “Feels like a fever, but not in the ill kind of way.” He bit his lip, and Daehyun let him collect his thoughts.

“My muscles are all achy, too. And I get dizzy when I move too fast. A-and I feel so exhausted, I think if I tried to stand up right now I’d fall over.” Jongup sighed and pressed his face into Daehyun’s neck. “It’s like my body is angry at me.”

Daehyun laughed shortly and petted Jongup’s hair. “But you haven’t been sick or anything?” he asked, superbly confused then.

Jongup shook his head, hair brushing Daehyun’s skin lightly. “No, just… just lonely. Cold. I can’t––I can’t be without him right now. I don’t know why, but I just can’t,” he cut himself off with a sniffle, and Daehyun tucked him into his chest, shushing him as he began to cry.

“Shh, it’s okay. It’s alright, Jonguppie.”

The man in his arms didn’t respond, only holding him tighter.

“I think I might know what’s wrong.”

Jongup hiccuped once, and then looked up. “Really hyung? Do you know what to do? Can you fix it? Please?”

“Well… it’s just a hunch, really, but if I’m right, then I don’t think it’s the kind of thing that needs any fixing, Uppie.”

Jongup sniffled again and took a deep breath to try and calm himself down. “What do you mean?”

 

“Okay, somebody needs to call Himchan. Like, right now,” Daehyun said, bursting into Junhong’s room, where he, Youngjae, and Yongguk had all congregated to wait for him. Except, it was morning, Daehyun hadn’t come back, he had slept on Himchan’s bed with Jongup in his arms, and everyone was asleep in a pile on Junhong’s floor.

“Hyung, you’re still naked,” Junhong slurred out, trying to sit up until he realized that he couldn’t with Youngjae on top of him. He gave up and flopped back down.

“I know, you punk, now wake those two up while I find my pants.”

“Didn’t you take them off in Himchan’s room?”

Daehyun’s mouth twitched. “I want clean ones.”

“Whatever you say, hyung.” Junhong yawned like a newly awakened beast, flashing his canines and stretching his tongue out.

Daehyun’s face twisted at the display. “Ugh,” he muttered to himself as he left. “Gross betas-with-alpha-tendencies,” he complained, as if Junhong’s biological abnormalities were a common case among their kind. (They weren’t.)

 

Daehyun had only just finished dressing himself when Junhong comes knocking.

“Hyung, you didn’t tell us what to say to Himchan-hyung once we called him,” he said, holding his cellphone out.

Daehyun blinked. “Oh.” He took the phone from Junhong’s hand and pressed it to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Himchan-hyung! Hi!”

“Daehyun, it is nearly two in the morning. Why did you make Junnie call me? Better be important,” Himchan grumbled, his voice washed out over the phone. “I _just_ laid down. My entire body is screaming for rest.”

“Um,” Daehyun covered the speaker and motioned for Junhong––who was lingering curiously in the doorway––to shoo, only speaking again once the door was shut behind him.

“So, I know you just left, but…” he trailed off, not entirely sure how to tell Himchan that he thought his mate had a few buns in the oven.

“When was the last time you and Jongup had sex?” he blurted awkwardly.

There was a pause, and Daehyun could practically see Himchan’s face scrunch up, brows drawing together. When he finally got a response, it was hesitant. “… what brought this about so early in the morning? Had a bad dream about it?”

“Oh, my god, no!” Daehyun shouted, then immediately slapped a hand over his mouth. “Hyung,” he hissed. “Just tell me.”

Himchan sighed, obviously still disoriented. “I don’t know, whenever his last heat was, I don’t remember. I’m too sleepy for memory recall.”

“Okay, so a week ago.”

“… sure.” Himchan yawned loudly into the receiver, and Daehyun winced.

That sounded about right.

“You need to come back. As soon as possible,” he said. There was another beat of silence.

“What? Why? And why did you ask me about sex? Oh, god, why did I answer that without questioning you further? Daehyun, I just want to sleep.”

Daehyun licked his lips and sat down on the edge of his bed. “I know, hyung, I’m sorry. But I think this counts as an emergency.”

That had Himchan at attention. “What do you mean? What happened? Is Jongup okay?” Suddenly his questions tripled in speed, and Daehyun wasn’t sure which one to answer first. He decided to go with the most positive one first.

“Jongup’s fine, hyung. It’s not a _bad_ emergency.”

Himchan growled. “Daehyun-ah, the word _emergency_ tends to have negative connotations,” he ground out.

Daehyun sighed. “I would really prefer to tell you this in person, but I have a feeling you won’t cool down and come home until I do, am I right?”

“You are.”

“Did you use protection?”

“What––why are we back to the sex questions?”

“Just answer it!”

Daehyun could hear the grind of Himchan’s jaw. Or was he just imagining it?

“Fine,” Himchan said, voice quiet as if he was afraid someone might overhear. “No, we did not. Now explain yourself.”

“I think it worked,” Daehyun rushed.

“You think it worked,” Himchan repeated. Then: “you think _what_ worked? Daehyun, I have never been more confused in my life. Please just––”

“I’m about seventy percent sure you impregnated Jongup. Oh my God, that was the worst possible wording I could have chosen––”

“Have someone come pick me up at the airport in four hours,” Himchan cut him off, and the line went dead. Daehyun stared at the phone in his hand for a minute, taking his time to process everything.

“I can’t believe I said that.”

“Yeah, me neither.” The door cracked open to reveal Junhong, still outside, and Daehyun leapt to his feet.

“I told you to shoo, you little cretin––”

“I was just waiting to get my phone back,” Junhong defended, holding his hands up in front of himself. “And now I have questions, too,” he added sheepishly.


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Did Daehyun tell you?” Himchan asked, one hand stroking the fur behind Jongup’s ears.  
> Youngjae shook his head and leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest. “He refused to spill even a word to any of us. Though I am absolutely positive Junhonggie knows something. Kid has been fidgeting like crazy.”  
> Himchan nodded. “Interesting that Daehyun seems to suddenly have to power to keep his mouth shut,” he joked. “Close the door?”

Himchan had thought he was prepared for this. He had thought that it would be a moment of joy. What were the odds he would find himself squished in between two soundly sleeping older women on a tiny midnight plane ride back home, fiddling with his fingers and downing three cups of coffee within the first half hour of the flight, bouncing his leg and regretting that specific decision regarding beverages, and wishing there was a faster mode of transportation so that he could get back home to his maybe-pregnant mate?

Slim to none, he determined. Of course it would be just his luck. Of course he would be so stupid the one time he needed to not be, and leave his mate at the worst possible time in which one could leave their mate.

And Daehyun had sounded so worried over the phone, and that made Himchan worried, and Himchan should have asked for more details before rushing out; he should have asked if Jongup was feeling well, if he was alright. He should have asked Daehyun  _ why _ he thought Jongup was pregnant, because Daehyun had a habit of jumping to conclusions sometimes, and––. But no, Himchan had mindlessly fled back to the airport he hadn’t been away from for even a full day in the middle of the night, leaving a note––a  _ note _ ––behind on his mother’s kitchen counter to explain his abrupt disappearance and apologize for it.

Could be worse. Could be raining. Not like he would know if it was, anyway, just so happening to be above the clouds at the moment, and whatnot. Maybe it  _ was _ raining. Maybe it  _ was  _ worse. Himchan grew jittery as the worries got stuck in his head. On one hand, he hoped that Daehyun was right, because it would explain all of Jongup’s recent neediness and discomfort. Not to mention it would imply that Himchan had finally fulfilled one of his duties as an alpha of the pack. But on the other hand, Himchan would feel all-around even more terrible for leaving at a time in which his presence alongside Jongup was practically  _ vital for proper health.  _ He shouldn’t dwell on that.

He dwelled on it for the rest of the flight.

  
  
  


“Explain.” Himchan had thrown his bags into the back of the car, and as soon as he had buckled into the passenger’s seat, Youngjae had taken off.

Youngjae just shrugged. “I don’t know either, Himchan. Daehyun won’t tell any of us anything. It’s quite frustrating.”

“Wait, you mean he didn’t tell you?”

“Refused to say anything that wasn’t ‘go pick him up at the airport’,” Youngjae said with a roll of his eyes.

Oh. Daehyun didn’t want them to know about his suspicion before Himchan. There wasn’t a way to be sure until Himchan got back, too, and they could go to a doctor.

Himchan had been so certain that he would know if Jongup was going to have pups, but nothing (aside from his recently strange behavior) had seemed off about him physically. His scent had been the same as always, but it wasn’t like he had done a thorough sniffing of him or anything.

He had read about how alphas had a should to be able to “sense” when a mate was pregnant. Maybe it took a lot of concentration, or something, and was less instinctive than he thought. Or maybe it was more of a wolf thing. He did know for a fact that pregnancies were much easier to deal with in wolf form after the first two weeks, as that was about when the pups would normally begin to take on their shape, and they couldn’t shift themselves with the parent, so trying to shift while pregnant could put a lot of stress on the body and even deal damage.

Pregnancies with male omegas were rare and usually produced half the amount of offspring a female would; not that Himchan minded.

He spent most of the car ride receiting everything he knew in his head. Male omegas had a longer gestation period than females, about four or five months, so it was likely that (if Jongup was actually going to have pups) he would start staying in his wolf form about a month in. He doubted Jongup would mind. In fact, if he knew anything about his mate he figured he would enjoy it, considering how much time he usually spent in his wolf form already.

On another note, parenting wasn’t a huge deal for werewolf pups compared to actual, one-hundred-percent-human babies, and they matured much more quickly (physically, at least,) but that didn’t mean Himchan wasn’t nervous. He would have to do some more reading. Pups couldn’t even shift into humans until they were six months old, and that only meant that they were capable of shifting at that age, not that they would, necessarily. Sometimes it could take years. Himchan was brought to the realization that he didn’t know nearly enough about this.

All of the omegas in their extended pack were actively trying to conceive;  _ Himchan  _ was actively  _ helping _ with that. Why hadn’t he been doing research?  _ Idiot. This isn’t a “we’ll cross that bridge when we get there” situation. At least, it shouldn’t be. _

A lot of the time, male omegas weren’t even fertile––in fact it was rare for them to be––, and when they were, they exhibited a higher rate of failed pregnancies and side effects than women.

Himchan knew that Daehyun couldn’t conceive. It was something he didn’t like to talk about, and Himchan hadn’t been a part of the pack when they’d found out, but, according to Jongup, it had been bad.

  
  


As soon as Himchan closed the front door behind him, there was a commotion at the top of the staircase. A blur of gray shot down the steps and slid into the wall, knocking into the side table and skittering through the foyer.

By the time the wolf reached him, it wasn’t a wolf anymore. Much to Himchan’s delight, it had transformed into a Jongup, albeit a naked Jongup, but still a Jongup, nonetheless.

He looked down.

All the more, actually.

He leapt into Himchan’s arms like he was returning from war and not his parents’ house, and Himchan didn’t even stumble. He dropped his bag and slipped his arms around Jongup’s waist, then turned them around to hide his… assets from the other people around them. Don’t get him wrong, Himchan trusted his pack with everything he had, but he wasn’t about to let Jongup go around showing off his naked body to them. That was reserved for him exclusively, no exceptions.

 

Youngjae, who had swooped in to steady the table Jongup had almost knocked over when he flew down the stairs, ushered everyone else into the living room. The sun would be rising soon, and Himchan figured they whole house would be snoozing the day away once it did, after all this drama. He especially could use some snoozing, himself, having not even been able to doze off during his flight.

But the snoozing would have to wait. Jongup had taken to dropping kisses all over Himchan’s face, humming as he then lowered his head to tuck into his neck.

“I missed you,” he murmured. (Whined.)

Himchan cracked a small smile. “Jonguppie, I wasn’t even gone for a day,” he said, petting his mate’s hair softly. Suddenly, Jongup pulled back, but his arms and legs tightened around Himchan.

“Don’t leave again,” he demanded with a stubborn pout.

“We have some things to discuss, I think?” Himchan rose his eyebrows and gave him a look, watching Jongup’s face flush. He toed off his shoes, leaving them in the middle of the hallway, right in front of the door. Hazardous placement on his part, but he could worry about that  _ after _ somebody tripped over them.

“Upstairs, Master?”

Jongup squirmed as if only now realizing the predicament his rushed actions had put him in. “Um, you can put me down…” he began to unwind his legs from where they gripped around Himchan’s waist, but a hand grabbed his thigh and the other pressed against the small of his back, stopping him. Jongup looked up at Himchan and paused his thinking for a minute, foregoing the embarrassment of being cradled practically against the wall of their foyer for any passerby to potentially witness, then leaned up and kissed him.

Himchan’s grip around his thigh tightened, and his fingers dug into his spine. Jongup broke away quickly, instead dragging his mouth down Himchan’s neck and over his collar, laying his cheek against the claim mark he knew was beneath his shirt.

 

“Why are you two still down here?” Suddenly Youngjae’s voice echoed down the hall, and Jongup jumped in his arms.

Himchan rolled his eyes. “We were just on our way up,” he mumbled, just loud enough that he knew Youngjae would pick it up, and hiked Jongup up a little bit before ascending the stairs.

  
  


“Were you in here?” Himchan kicked the door to his room shut behind them after awkwardly nudging the light switch up with his shoulder. The lamp in the corner lit the room in a dusky orange glow, and he carefully deposited Jongup on the rumpled bed.

Jongup uncurled his calves and let go of Himchan’s shoulders, resting on his back as he watched him turn to his dresser. As Himchan began to change, yanking his jeans off and abandoning his shirt, Jongup frowned. He rolled onto his side and curled up a bit. He cleared his throat and reached over the side of the bed, retrieving the shirt Himchan had tossed to the floor and sitting up to slide it on.

“Himchan…”

The older man hummed and turned around, smiling at Jongup’s behavior. It was a habit he’d learned he took to completely mindlessly, stealing Himchan’s worn clothes from him.

He shook his head with a light laugh. “Jonguppie, that’s dirty.”

When he reached forward Jongup pouted and clutched the fabric, leaning away.

Himchan sighed. “I’m right here, you know,” he said. “If you want to smell like me just use the real thing. You can rub up against me all you want, I promise.”

“I’d rather  _ you  _ rub up against  _ me  _ all I want,” Jongup mumbled. His pout remained, but he relented, and allowed Himchan to pull the shirt over his head and toss it into the hamper.

“I’m sorry,” Jongup said, “for all of this.”

Himchan turned around and pulled a face, nose scrunching up. “Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.” He sat down on the side of the bed, next to Jongup, who leaned into him immediately. “If anything, I shouldn’t have even left, knowing already weren’t feeling well.”

Jongup shook his head. “You were with you family,” he said to Himchan’s shoulder. “You were supposed to see your niece but you didn’t even get to stay the night because of me.”

Himchan sighed and pulled Jongup’s face back, cupping it with his hands and tilting it upward so that he could look at him properly.

“Jongup-ah, I  _ am _ with my family,” he said softly. “Every time I enter this house, I’m with my family.” He stroked Jongup’s cheek with his finger. “Especially now.”

“Honestly, that’s really sweet and cheesy, hyung,” Jongup said, scrunching his nose, “but I really do feel bad.” He shook his head, and Himchan let go, dropping his hands into his lap.

“I couldn’t even handle a few hours away from you! If… if this keeps up, or gets worse? And then I can’t––I won’t be able to––”

Himchan cut him off by placing a finger over his lips. “Jongup, if this keeps up or gets worse, then I’ll stay with you. I will anyway, you know that.”

“I don’t want to keep you bound to my side at all times,” Jongup argued, casting his eyes down and reaching for Himchan’s hands.

“Hey, I signed up for this, you know,” Himchan said, a half-smile gracing his face. He brushed his fingertips over the scar on Jongup’s neck. “Maybe I could have done more research before hand––”

Jongup gave him a look.

“––okay, I  _ should  _ have done more research before hand––but at the end of the day, when you hurt, I hurt.” Himchan linked their hands together and pulled Jongup into the small nest of sheets and pillows at the head of the bed. “Really, Jonguppie, you have nothing to feel sorry for.”

Jongup huffed and let Himchan tug him down, settling in his arms, facing him.

“Okay, well, anyway––” it was clear by the way Jongup spoke that it was not okay by any means at the moment, but that would have to be dealt with later “––um, so, Daehyun…” he fumbled, and Himchan picked up the line for him.

“Is pretty sure you’re––”

“Yeah,” Jongup interrupted. He almost felt afraid of the word, scared to hear it leave Himchan’s mouth. “He thinks I’m––yeah.”

“And,” Himchan drew the word out, having expected Jongup to continue.

“And, I need to make an appointment with the doctor…” his eyes darted around, as if nervous to land on Himchan’s.

Himchan quirked a brow.  _ “We  _ need to make an appointment with the doctor,” he corrected. Jongup’s face flushed, and Himchan decided not to push it for now. They could deal with that in a few hours.

“You feel better now?” he asked.

Jongup smiled up at him. “Yeah. A little weird still, but yeah. It doesn’t hurt anymore.” He snuggled further into Himchan’s embrace and pushed his nose up into his neck, inhaling deeply. Himchan frowned, wondering what Jongup meant by “hurt” and what exactly had been hurting, but he pushed the questions back, figuring Jongup wasn’t too keen on discussing that yet.

“You sure made quite the nest out of my bed,” Himchan said.

Jongup winced. “Sorry,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking very clearly. I kind of just… shifted and let my instincts take over for a while.”

“It’s comfortable,” Himchan said, rubbing the back of Jongup’s neck. “Now stop apologizing for everything.”

“Sorry.”

“Jongup.”

“I mean, um,” Jongup drummed his fingers on Himchan’s shoulder, tapping gently. “My bad?”

Himchan exhaled a laugh. “We’ll work on it.”

“I feel more comfortable being a wolf right now, I think,” Jongup said, pushing his head against Himchan’s chest and wrapping his arms around him even more tightly. “It helped, before.” His hand trailed down Himchan’s arm and squeezed his hand. “I think because I could smell you better,” he said with a shy smile. “But it also made the aching go away. Even though I am feeling better now, I still keep getting urges to change back.”

“Sounds to me like your body wants you to do all the sniffing and snuggling you can,” Himchan said, amused.

Jongup nodded. “Yeah, seems like it,” he agreed.

“Then what are you waiting for?” Himchan asked, pulling back to smile at him..

“You, I guess,” Jongup answered, pulling back before tracing a finger up his chest, gaze rising to meet Himchan’s eyes.

He was out of his socks and underwear almost as fast as he had been when Jongup’s last heat had started.

  
  
  


“Okay, Himchan-hyung is back, now can you tell us what’s wrong with Jonguppie?” Youngjae’s leg was bouncing under the table as he sipped his water. Not knowing the exact condition of any pack member had a tendency to put him on edge. He was supposed to be responsible, to take care of the others and make sure that any and all problems were immediately addressed. Youngjae was, admittedly, a bit softer when it came to traditional pack alpha traditions in comparison to most, but he didn’t want to be in charge of anybody else’s life. He didn’t want there to be rankings within his family. There would be no drama happening on his watch.

But there were instincts he couldn’t ignore. For example, how uncomfortable he felt being aware that a pack member was ill and he couldn’t help.

“Youngjae, I told you already, it’s not my place to tell you.”

“Look, Daehyun.” Youngjae rubbed at his temples. “I appreciate your chivalry or whatever in regards to this situation, but you literally have never said a thing like that before in your life. I honestly can’t imagine what could be wrong with Jongup that you wouldn’t be blabbering all over the place about, and, quite frankly, it’s freaking me out.”

Junhong, who was lying on the couch in the next room, head in Yongguk’s lap as he dozed (it being  _ quite  _ too early in the morning for his liking,) bit his lip, well aware that he knew something he shouldn’t. Yongguk, being Yongguk as he was, of course noticed the slight shift in Junhong’s mood, and looked down.

“Stop biting,” he rumbled, reaching down to tug Junhong’s bottom lip from where his teeth had caught on it. His canines had already brought a dot of blood to the surface.

Yongguk knew better than to pry, but Junhong was so  _ jumpy.  _ He was bouncing his knee and drumming his fingers. He had been pacing until Yongguk hadn’t been able to stand it any longer and pulled him down onto the couch.

There was a low growl from the kitchen table, and both of them perked up to peer over the half wall separating them. Youngjae had risen to his feet, and Daehyun was curled back in his seat, making himself small and avoiding the alpha’s gaze. Yongguk could feel it, too, and he didn’t doubt Junhong did as well. It was unusual for Youngjae to lose his cool; it was common knowledge that he hated using his genetics to assert dominance over the rest of the pack, but he had only actually become a pack leader a few years ago, and nothing like this had ever happened under his responsibility before. Yongguk was sure he’d feel the same way.

 

Youngjae gave Daehyun’s shoulder an apologetic pat before leaving the kitchen. He would give him a proper apology later. For now, he needed to talk with the other two. He made his way upstairs silently, one hand on the railing even though he required no help to maintain his balance. Instead he used it to pull himself up faster, taking the steps two at a time.

The door to Himchan’s room was closed, but Youngjae could see soft light flowing into the hallway from the space between the door and the hardwoods. He knocked lightly on the door. It took Himchan a minute to beckon him inside, but as soon as he opened the door, he understood why. He had needed to shift back.

The whole room was basked in a dim, dusky orange glow from the lamp on the bedside table. Jongup was curled around Himchan’s naked waist, regarding Youngjae passively, as usual.

“Did Daehyun tell you?” Himchan asked, one hand stroking the fur behind Jongup’s ears.

Youngjae shook his head and leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest. “He refused to spill even a word to any of us. Though I am absolutely positive Junhonggie knows  _ something _ . Kid has been fidgeting like crazy.”

Himchan nodded. “Interesting that Daehyun seems to suddenly have to power to keep his mouth shut,” he joked. “Close the door?”

Youngjae sat carefully at the edge of the bed, this time addressing Jongup. “Are you feeling better?” he asked.

Jongup made a pleased-sounding rumble deep in his chest, which seemed to appease both Youngjae and Himchan.

“He told me he feels better as a wolf right now,” Himchan filled in. “Which makes sense, I suppose.”

Youngjae rose an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

Himchan looked down at Jongup, who, after a beat, nudged his side with his snout. Himchan giggled when his wet nose brushed against his stomach. “Alright,” he said. “Well, we’re…  _ pretty  _ sure Jongup is going to be having pups.”

The sentence lit up Youngjae’s ears like a thousand fireworks, and a huge smile graced his face. “Seriously?” He looked between the two, eyes sparkling as his back straightened to attention.

Himchan just nodded, and Jongup nuzzled back into him contentedly.

“Himchan––Jongup, that’s amazing,” Youngjae said. He scooted up but not past the makeshift nest the two mates were resting in, and reached out to pat Jongup’s head. “I can’t even describe how happy I am right now,” he gushed excitedly, trying hard to keep from shouting. “This will be the first litter of the pack! Oh my God, I can’t believe it––so soon… I’ll need to tell the others. Or, you two can, if you’d prefer that, but––God, I’m just,” he cut himself off with a laugh. “This is so amazing. Especially with how rare it is for male omegas to be fertile and whatnot… I feel like the luckiest pack leader in the world,” he exclaimed.

Himchan just smiled. “I know,” he said quietly. “It’s the most incredible feeling ever.” He continued to run his fingers through Jongup’s fur, sweet affection obvious in his touch.

“Congratulations,” Youngjae said, sending another smile Jongup’s way. “Really. You make me proud of my pack.”

“Aw, don’t cry, Youngjae,” Himchan cooed.

“Oh, shut up.” Youngjae punched him in the arm half heartedly. “I’m not going to cry.”

Himchan sighed contentedly and leaned back, adjusting the sheets to follow his movement. “You can spread the news,” he said. “I think we’re both too sleepy to do much else right now.” He nodded to Jongup, who was trying hard to keep his eyes open. “And we don’t want to keep everyone waiting in suspense any longer.”

Youngjae nodded. “Understandable. Are you two going to make an appointment with a doctor soon?”

“We’ll take care of all that after we get some rest, Jae, don’t worry. It’s under control for now.”

“For now,” Youngjae echoed. He stood up and stretched, then made his way back over to the door. “Let me know if you need anything,” he said. “Really, anything. We’re all here to help, don’t forget that.”

“I know. Thanks, Jae.”

  
  
  


When he woke up at around one in the afternoon, Himchan finally allowed the happiness and pride to seep in as he gazed at Jongup. They were going to be parents together––they were contributing to the pack, they were going to be  _ parents _ . This certain detail was one he couldn’t get to leave his head, and he didn’t want it to leave his head, either.

 

When he had only first known him, Himchan had been surprised at how much time Jongup liked to spend in his wolf form. He’d been a wolf when they met, in fact, refusing to turn back despite Youngjae’s efforts to beckon him from where he had been snuggled across Junhong’s lap.

After he started helping out Jongup with his heats and they began to spend more time together, Himchan often found himself waking up to wolf-Jongup curled up next to––and sometimes on top of––him, with his head resting on his chest, or his nose tucked under his own tail, if he was cold.

 

Now, Himchan woke up to the cold of a snout poking at his chin. He couldn’t remember how long they had managed to stay awake cuddling for, and he definitely didn’t remember when he had shifted back. But he have no mind to that, because Jongup was lying stretched out on top of him; his lower half and legs sat between his thighs, and the remainder of him rested on Himchan’s stomach and chest heavily. It was like having a hundred-degree brick on top of him. (Not that Himchan minded in the slightest.)

Wolf-Jongup was breathing deeply, still sound asleep. His paws just reached Himchan’s shoulders, and his front legs stretched out alongside his head. His tail was draped over Himchan’s thigh, and the tip flicked a tiny bit every few seconds; he must have been dreaming.

Himchan brought one hand up to rest beneath Jongup’s jaw, on the side of his neck, and the other buried itself in the thick, fuzzy fur behind one of his ears. He began to scratch there slowly, knowing full well where Jongup’s favorite spot was, and more than willing to exploit that knowledge. He remembered the day they first discovered it.

They had been on one of the sofas in the living room downstairs, and Jongup had been curled up, a wolf, half on Himchan’s lap and content with the hand softly petting his head. He’d shifted back in a panic the moment Himchan’s fingers had swept under his ear, and he skittered backwards, hand covering his neck and his face pink.

Himchan thought Jongup must have already known about it, but apparently it was a first for the both of them. Himchan had tried many times after that to get Jongup to let him touch, eager to please him, but Jongup would just keep smacking his hand away, clearly still embarrassed from the first time.

 

Now, with Jongup so deeply asleep, Himchan had the perfect opening. As soon as he started to lightly scratch, Jongup shifted and breathed out deeply, tickling Himchan’s face with the whiskers on his snout. Himchan flinched and paused his hand, and Jongup rolled just a fraction over, settling back down on his side. As soon as Himchan was sure he was still asleep, he started to pet him again, with easier access now that he had rolled over. Once it became apparent that Jongup wouldn’t be waking up any time soon––deep sleeper as he is and exhausted from the night before, anyway––, Himchan moved his other hand opposite the first, cupping Jongup’s neck in his palms, and scratched from both sides at the same time.

Jongup began to shift more in his sleep, even some little noises managing to escape. Himchan watched, fascinated, as one of Jongup’s hind legs began to kick as he arched his neck to give his hands better access.

Since when did wolves do the leg-shaky thing?

He chuckled a bit, absolutely delighted at this new discovery, and Jongup promptly landed a solid kick to his shin. Himchan winced and grunted, looking down to see Jongup’s eyes open, watching him indifferently.

Jongup stared at him, and Himchan could tell he was exhausted, too, eyes falling shut slowly, drifting off, only to snap back into hard focus every time he realized that he was dozing.  _ Cute _ .

Then, suddenly, Jongup shifted back and fell with a light “oof” onto his chest.

They laid there together for a few minutes, just breathing in sync with one another, before Himchan spoke.

“I know we don’t know for sure,” he mumbled from beside Jongup’s head, which was pressed into his shoulder again, “but I have a feeling. I think… I think we are going to be parents.” He stroked Jongup’s spine with his fingers.

“You know what will help us be  _ great  _ parents?” Jongup asked, yawning and lifting his head to raise his eyebrows at Himchan.

He knew what was coming. “What?” he played along.

“Sleeping.”

“Yeah, we should… do more of that…”

Jongup’s fingers on Himchan’s skin were distracting, though. The way he traced over the veins in Himchan’s neck, the lines of his torso. Jongup nuzzled back into his neck and sighed contentedly.

“I missed you,” he said softly, accompanied by a kiss to Himchan’s skin. Jongup kept his lips pressed against the pulsepoint just below his ear, enjoying the feeling of his heartbeat against them.

“I won’t leave again,” Himchan assured him, petting his hair. It was like they just couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Though there was no reason Himchan could think to justify why they  _ wouldn’t _ always be touching each other so long as they were within the same building. Touching Jongup was nice, and brought upon him a sense of peace and contentment. Himchan didn’t think he’d ever take his hands off of his mate if he didn’t absolutely have to.

“Ever?” Jongup lifted his head and smiled brightly at him. “So you’ll remain attached to my hip from here on out, forever?”

“If that’s what you want.” Himchan leaned up and kissed him. When he withdrew, Jongup was frowning at him, his nose scrunched up.

“If you get any more cheesy, Hyung, I’ll develop a lactose intolerance,” he said, poking Himchan in the cheek.

“Well, we can’t have that now, can we? You wouldn’t be able to have you morning glass of milk.”

Jongup continued to rain pokes across Himchan’s face. “I drink milk in the afternoon and evening too, you know,” he said.

Himchan snorted. “No wonder you’re so dense,” he joked, hitting Jongup lightly on the arm.

Jongup scoffed and pushed himself up so that he was sitting over Himchan’s hips, and suddenly Himchan was reminded of just how nice Jongup looked when he was naked. His arms were folded across his chest and he looked down at the alpha, one eyebrow raised.

“Oh, please,” he said, absently bringing one hand down to draw up and down Himchan’s chest. “I’ve been able to see right through you since the moment we met.”

It took a lot of willpower for Himchan to keep himself from reaching for Jongup again, but he managed to keep still, head staying on the pillow. “When we first met you were in your wolf form curled around Junhong’s waist like a lap dog,” he shot back.  “And you refused to shift to say hello.”

“In my defense,” Jongup said, now tracing his finger along Himchan’s stomach in slow, tantalizing circles, “I don’t exactly have a great history when it comes to meeting strangers.” He pursed his lips and his hands stilled. “Especially alphas.”

Himchan wiggled his arms up and propped himself up on his elbows, smiling as Jongup’s hands cupped his face.

“I know,” Himchan murmured. “I can’t understand what it’s like to be an omega. But I can say that I’m glad you and Junhonggie found Youngjae.”

Jongup rubbed small circles into Himchan’s cheeks with his thumbs, loving how the soft skin felt under his hands. “Well, it was more like Hyung found  _ us _ ,” he said. “But me too. I don’t know how long we would’ve lasted out there if Daehyun-hyung hadn’t sniffed us out.” He bit his lip, and dropped his hands from Himchan’s face. “I really thought Junhonggie wouldn’t––”

“I know,” Himchan cut him off, placing his own hands over Jongup’s cheeks and pulling him closer. He pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes. “This is the best family I’ve ever had.”

Jongup sniffled quietly, finding himself a bit overcome with emotions as Himchan held his face like he meant everything to him. (He had been doing that a lot lately.)

But he was smiling, and gave a breathy laugh before closing the gap between them and kissing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha guess who didn't edit a word of this and also made the story double the size it was originally going to be :))) yes, so. there are actually still two more chapters to go.  
> Thank you to bunches to everyone who's giving me support; it means the world to me. Please leave me a comment if you're enjoying it!! Your feedback always makes me want to write more. <3
> 
> Also, I know there's a little bit of angst being hinted at in this chapter, but it won't really be too prominent in the rest of this part of the series, so don't worry; all promises of fluff will be fulfilled! There is much, MUCH more cuteness to come, I guarantee. :D


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